TREATY SERIES, NO. 493 


CONVENTION 


BETWEEN THE 


UNITED STATES AND SPAIN 


ARBITRATION 


SIGNED AT WASHINGTON, APRIL 20, 1908 
RATIFICATION ADVISED BY THE SENATE, APRIL 22, 1908 
RATIFIED BY THE PRESIDENT, MAY 28, 1908 
RATIFIED BY SPAIN, MAY 11, 1908 

RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT WASHINGTON, JUNE 2, 1908 
PROCLAIMED, JUNE 3, 1908 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1908 






























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By the President of the United States of America. 

A PROCLAMATION. 


Whereas a Convention between the United States of America and 
the Kingdom of Spain providing for the submission to arbitration of 
all questions of a legal nature or relating to the interpretation of trea¬ 
ties, which may arise between the two countries and which it may not 
have been possible to settle by diplomacy, was concluded and signed 
by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington on the twentieth 
day of April, one thousand nine hundred and eight, the original of 
which Convention being in the English and Spanish languages is word 
for word as follows: 


The Government of the United 
States of America and the Govern¬ 
ment of His Majesty the King of 
Spain, signatories of the Conven¬ 
tion for the pacific settlement of 
international disputes, concluded 
at The Hague on the 29th July, 
1899; 

Taking into consideration that 
by Article XIX of that Conven¬ 
tion the High Contracting Parties 
have reserved to themselves the 
right of concluding Agreements, 
with a view to referring to arbi¬ 
tration all questions which they 
shall consider possible to submit 
to such treatment; 

Have authorized the Under¬ 
signed to conclude the following 
Convention: 

Article I. 


El Gobierno de Su Majestad el 
Key de Espana y el Gobierno de 
los Estados Unidos de America, 
signatarios del Convenio para el 
arreglo pacifico de conflictos in- 
ternacionales, ajustadoen El Haya 
el 29 de Julio de 1899; 

Tomando en consideracion que 
con arreglo al Articulo XIX de ese 
Convenio, las Altas Partes Contra- 
tantes se han reservado el derecho 
de ajustar acuerdos, con objeto de 
acudir al arbitrage en todas las 
cuestiones que consideren posible 
someter a este procedimiento: 

Han autorizadoa los infrascritos 
para concluir el siguiente Con¬ 
venio; 


Articulo I. 


Differences which may arise of 
a legal nature, or relating to the 
interpretation of treaties existing 
between the two*Contracting Par¬ 
ties, and which it may not have 
been possible to settle by diplo¬ 
macy, shall be referred to the 
Permanent Court of Arbitration 
established at The Hague by the 
Convention of the 29th July, 1899, 
provided, nevertheless, that they 


Las diferencias de caracter legal 
6 relativas a la interpretacion de 
tratados existentes entre las dos 
Partes Contratantes, que puedan 
suscitarse entre ambas y que no 
ha} 7 a sido posible arreglar por la 
via diplomatics, seran sometidas 
al Tribunal Permanente de Arbi¬ 
trage establecido en El Ilaya por 
el Convenio de 29 de Julio de 1899, 
siempre que y con tal que, no afec- 

( 3 ) 


4 


do not affect the vital interests, 
the independence, or the honor of 
the two Contracting States, and do 
not concern the interests of third 
Parties. 

Article II. 

In each individual case the High 
Contracting Parties, before appeal¬ 
ing to the Permanent Court of Ar¬ 
bitration, shall conclude a special 
Agreement defining clearly the 
matter in dispute, the scope of the 
powers of the arbitrators, and the 
periods to be fixed for the forma¬ 
tion of the Arbitral Tribunal and 
the several stages of the procedure. 
It is understood that on the part 
of the United States such special 
agreements will be made by the 
President of the United States, by 
and with the advice and consent of 
the Senate thereof, and on the part 
of Spain shall be subject to the 
procedure required by her laws. 


ten los intereses vitales, la inde- 
pendencia, 6 la honra de los Esta¬ 
dos Contratantes y no atanen los 
intereses de terceras Partes. 

Articulo II. 

En cadacaso particular las Altas 
Partes Contratantes antes de ape- 
lar al Tribunal Permanente de Ar¬ 
bitrage firmaran un compromiso 
especial que determine claramente 
la materia del litigio, el alcance de 
los poderes de los arbitros, y los 
plazos que se fijen para la consti¬ 
tution del Tribunal Arbitral y 
para sus procedimientos. Queda 
entendido que dichos acuerdos es- 
peciales, en lo que concierne a 
Espana, senin sometidos a las for- 
malidades requeridaspor sus leyes, 
y por lo que toca ft los Estados 
Unidos, los llevara a cabo el Presi- 
dente de los Estados Unidos con 
el consejo y consentimiento del 
Senado. 


Article III. 


Articulo III. 


The present Convention is con¬ 
cluded for a period of five years 
dating from the day of the ex¬ 
change of the ratifications. 


Se concluye el presente Acuerdo 
por un periodo de cinco anos a con- 
tar desde el dia del canje de las 
ratificaciones. 


Article IV. 


Articulo IV. 


The present Convention shall be 
ratified by the President of the 
United States of America, by and 
with the advice and consent of the 
Senate thereof; and by His Majesty 
the King of Spain. The ratifica¬ 
tions shall be exchanged at Wash¬ 
ington as soon as possible, and the 
Convention shall take effect on the 
date of the exchange of its ratifi¬ 
cations. 

Done in duplicate in the English 
and Spanish languages at Wash¬ 
ington, this twentieth day of April 
in the year one thousand nine hun¬ 
dred and eight. 


El presente Convenio sera rati- 
cado por Su Majestad el Key de 
Espana; y por el Presidente de los 
Estados Unidos de America, de 
acuerdo y con el consentimiento 
del Senado. Las ratificaciones de 
este Convenio seran canjeadas en 
Washington tan pronto como sea 
posible, y sera qfectivo desde la 
fecha del canje de sus ratificaciones. 

Fecho, por duplicado, en lengua 
Espanola e Inglesa, en Washing¬ 
ton, el dia 20 de Abril del a no mil 
novecientos ocho. 


Eli hu Root 
R. Pina y Millet 




5 


And whereas the said Convention has been duly ratified on both 
parts, and the ratifications of the two governments were exchanged in 
the City of Washington, on the second day of June, one thousand nine 
hundred and eight; 

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Theodore Roosevelt, President 
of the United States of America, have caused the said Convention to 
be made public, to the end that the same and every article and clause 
thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith bv the United 
States and the citizens thereof. 

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the 
seal of the United States to be affixed. 

Done at the City of Washington this third day of June, in the } r ear 
of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eight, and of the Inde¬ 
pendence of the United States of America the one hundred and thirty- 
second. 

[seal. J Theodore Roosevelt. 

By the President: 

Elihu Root 

Secretary of State. 


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